Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary ETB Price Drops on Amazon, but There Is Still a Catch

The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration set is finally here , and if you've been trying to pick up some of its more desirable products without paying a hefty premium, things aren't exactly getting easier. The set has been difficult to find at sensible prices since launch, making Amazon's latest price drop on the 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box particularly interesting.

Amazon currently has the 30th Celebration ETB listed for just $83.44 , down from the $89.99 price we spotted previously. That's still above the set's MSRP, but it's a considerably more appealing price than some of the inflated listings we've seen elsewhere.

There's one rather important catch, though. Amazon still hasn't sent out its invite emails , so requesting an invite doesn't guarantee you'll actually get the chance to buy one at $83.44.

The timing here is worth paying attention to. When we first spotted Amazon taking invite requests, the 30th Celebration set hadn't yet fully hit the market. Now that the 30th Anniversary collection is officially out, we're seeing just how difficult some of its products can be to find at a reasonable price .

That's especially true for the more desirable sealed products, with the 30th Celebration ETB becoming increasingly difficult to track down without paying above MSRP. Amazon's $83.44 listing therefore stands out, even if it isn't the kind of below-MSRP bargain we normally hope to find.

The bigger problem is that requesting an invite doesn't mean Amazon will actually offer you the ETB . The retailer previously introduced invite requests for this product in the US, an unusual move given that Amazon's US Pokémon TCG listings have traditionally been priced much closer to prevailing market prices.

30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection [Night]

30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection [Day]

30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection [Lucario]

30th Celebration Battle Deck [Umbreon ex]

30th Celebration Battle Deck [Espeon ex]

30th Celebration Ditto Premium Collection

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration - Figure Collection

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Binder Collection

If you're after the 30th Celebration ETB specifically, there's very little downside to requesting an invite while the option is available. You aren't committing to buy one simply by requesting an invite, and Amazon's preorder system also offers price protection once an order is actually secured.

If Amazon does eventually send you an invite, you'll then have to decide whether $83.44 is a price you're comfortable paying for the ETB.

That's a slightly different proposition now that the 30th Anniversary set is actually on sale and sealed products are proving harder to find. You're not getting it at MSRP, but you may be avoiding the considerably more painful prices being asked by resellers.

And that's really the awkward part of buying Pokémon TCG products right now. MSRP is still the number I'd ideally want to see, but when a popular set is difficult to find, the choice can quickly become paying a premium to a major retailer or paying an even larger premium on the secondary market.

For now, $83.44 at Amazon is one of the more interesting prices to keep an eye on, assuming Amazon actually starts sending those invites.

Lugia - ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection

Charizard - ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection

Magikarp - ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection

Between Pokémaniacs, collectors scrambling for day-one master sets, resellers looking for a quick buck, and casual fans just trying to snag a piece of history, prices can feel a bit absurd right now for the 30th anniversary set.

But, to give you an idea of where the dust is settling on individual cards, we’ve pulled the median market prices per TCGplayer for the top 10 highest-value cards in the set so far.

Robert Anderson is a Senior Commerce Editor for IGN. Based in London, UK, he is a qualified journalist with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (First Class Degree) and over seven years of professional writing and editing experience.

You can usually find Robert lost in open-world RPG games like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. Outside of gaming, his passions include reading comics (especially Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man), taking photos, and keeping up with the latest in film and TV.

His primary coverage focuses on tracking down the best gaming deals and diving into the fast-paced world of Trading Card Games (TCGs). He regularly covers everything from the latest releases in Pokémon TCG and the most expensive cards to comprehensive Magic: The Gathering buying guides .